


Thunderstorms

by Ashe_Cat22



Series: Crimson Storms [1]
Category: Bright (2017), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Original Work
Genre: Action, Angst, Character Development, Character(s) of Color, Developing Relationship, Drama, Elf Culture & Customs, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Half-Elves, Half-orc, Love, Not Beta Read, Orc Culture, Orcs, Past Relationship(s), PoC, Romance, Slow Burn, and die like men, orc boyfriend, original female character(s) of color - Freeform, we post first draft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2019-11-13 03:52:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18024131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashe_Cat22/pseuds/Ashe_Cat22
Summary: Cerridwen is just your typical New Yorker. She works, she attends college, and she hangs out with her friends. She also happens to be half elven with a family history in world destruction and domination; but yeah, other than that she's just your typical New Yorker.I'm new to this so sorry for the poor summary :<





	1. Prequel: Tempest

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first time I've ever written any fan-fiction, so I don't really have a style of writing. So any constructive criticism would greatly be appreciative! Also I'm a big DA fan so I'll be referring to that a lot through the series.  
> Without further ado, please enjoy!! 
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: I claim no ownership of any people/species in the Netflix movie Bright or the language from the video game Dragon Age. I only own the original characters I created for this story.

Prequel

_Tempest_

It has always amazed me how quickly a person's life can change; almost like a thunderstorm. It starts off small, but then slowly builds into a crescendo of powerful emotions. Building upon every life changing event, till finally reaching one's pinnacle of serenity and understanding.  
My great grandmother once told me that thunderstorms brought our family luck. She said with storms, they brought rains that could wash away all of our sadness, our pain, and all our troubles. They were our sign of clarity and rebirth.

_My rebirth…._

 

* * *

  
…………………….  
………  
…  
Rain is believed to have a calming effect on people; from the spine tingling sensation when it hits the body just right, to the way it's soft thrum lulls the spirit. Sadly it seemed that the downpour outside of the car could not even begin to quell the storm of emotions brewing in a young mother heart. Her heart felt more cold and dreary than the starless night that she and her companion were driving through. The only thing that gave her solace and anchored her to reality was the shallow breathing of a child. Her child. She often found herself staring and holding her own breath, every time there pause between breaths she couldn't the sinking feeling in her gut  
wondering _“will this be my child last breath!?”._

“She's going to be alright Aminata, she's stable now.” As if a spell had been lifted, Aminata instantly turned to whom the deep velvety voice belonged to.  
“I'm worried for you, love. You both have a long journey head and you haven't slept since we started.”

Offering him a small smile she finally turned back to face the window “I can't… I keep have this feeling she won't make it through night. Are sure she's alright Fenrir?”  
As if to calm even his rising doubt, he briefly viewed the child's condition through the rear mirror.  
“I'm sure, and the crystal will ensure she's stable until we reached the checkpoint. Once we reached the house I'll finish the healing process. He replied, taking hold of her and giving a chaste kiss to her knuckles. “Until then rest my love, we only have an hour left”  
Letting out a soft whimper Aminata slowly allowed herself to succumb to exhaustion.  
………………………………………………………..  
…………………..  
…….  
Aminata wasn't sure what woke her first, it was either the SUV coming to a stop or the labored breathing coming from the back seat. Whatever it was she knew without a doubt something wasn't right.  
“Fenrir!!”

  
“Shhh… It's okay Ami, we're here.” Fenrir quickly replied, trying to calm her by taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Grab your things, I'll grab _da'len_ and bring her to the house.”

  
Before she was completely out of his reach, Fenrir pulled her into a quick embrace.  
“I know this is happening all too quickly and I can only imagine how frighten you must be but… _Var lath vir suledin_ … I promise.”

Moved beyond words all Aminata could do was tighten her embrace on him. Letting him go, she gathered her things and headed towards the house. After watching her leave Fenrir finally made his way to the SUV’s back passenger door, opening the door it was clear to him that the child inside was deteriorating fast. Time was of the essence and he needed to move the child to house now in order to treat her. With the utmost care he carefully gathered the child in his arms and began heading towards to the house.

For being only a short distance from the vehicle to the house, time itself seem to stretch on for eternity. They had been traveling for a better part of a week, and all along the way they were met with some setbacks. Even with all of those setbacks none of them felt as difficult as this short walk.

All Fenrir wanted to do was breath a sigh of relief that the journey was over, but that was then furthest thing from the truth. So many emotions filtered through his mind, the prominent being guilt and dread.  
The sense of trepidation within him was so strong, that Fenrir swore one could hear the thundering of his heart. He was so overwhelmed with all possibilities the next few hours had in store for him.. and his _da'len_.

His poor, sweet _da'len_. She was just shy of her fifth birthday, she was already shaping to be a beautiful and intelligent woman. Looking at her now though, one could only see a mere husk of her former self.It made Fenrir's heart ache to witness her in this state. Skin that once a rich and warm as fresh coffee with cream, was now more of a ashen gray with black splotches scattered about, and those beautiful. Eyes that once held color that could rival any dusk sunset; now looking upon them was like looking at the reflection of the dark grey void of despair locked within his heart.  
Lost in his inner turmoil, that Fenrir barely noticed small hands grazing the ends of his shoulder length hair. Large sunken grey eyes stared up at him, and it took all of his willpower not to break down on the spot.

  
“ _Da’len_ you're awake!!” he exclaimed gently, while moving a tassel of curls. “Everything is going to be okay soon, I promise.”  
He was so captivated with those eyes that he hadn't even realized he had taken the last few steps towards the house. Tearing his eyes from the child he became aware of a smartly dressed woman waiting for them on the porch.

  
“ _Fen'Harel ma ghilana_. It's time Fenrir… are you ready?” the woman asked quietly, all while her gaze quickly flickered between him and the child.

 

“ _Ghil-Dirthalen_. I am, but..” he replied, glancing quickly down at the child only to stare back at the woman. “Give me a moment.. Please.”

  
With a small smile and a nod, the woman turned and receded back into the shadows of the house.  
This was it, there was no place to go but forward. The next few hours held no certainties of anything promising. So with these scarce minutes he wanted them to mean something.

  
“ _Ma vhenan_.”  
Recognizing that he was addressing her, the child stopped her play with his hair and gave him her full attention.  
“Thing a are going to very different from now, but I want you to know that no matter what I… _As latha ma vhenan,_ and I always will.”  
For being just a child it was amazing to see just how intuitive she was. She may not fully understand what was going on, but she knew well enough that something wasn't right. Her large eyes instantly swelled with tears and Fenrir did his best to prevent them from falling.

  
“Shhh, _vhenan_ , everything is going to be fine, I promise. Remember I'm your _abo_ , and I'll do anything to protect you.”  
Out of his peripheral vision he could see that someone was once again in the doorway. It was time. With a heavy sigh, Fenrir gathered the child as close as possible to him. If these were truly their last moments, then he wanted to able to remember the way she felt in his arms and the way she smelled.  
“I love you and I always will my little Cerrid……………

…………………………………………………

……………………………..  
……….

  
..  
“DWEN! CERRIDWEN!! CERRIDWEN ATIENA ANDUNË!!! Honey it's time to wake up!!” came a annoyed feminine voice, muffled by the bedroom door.

Letting out a long groan, Cerridwen rolled in bed and sat up to face the door. Not even bothering to turn off the obnoxious artificial crowing coming from her phone.  
“You can come in momma.” She replied releasing a long yawn in the process.

  
Walking in and clearly annoyed with her daughter, Aminata picked up the phone and promptly silenced the offensive alarm.

“I swear Cerri if you're not going to wake up when your alarm goes off why bother setting one. The stupid thing been going off for… Cerri, love are you alright? Why are you crying?” Aminata asked, her face and voice instantly softening when saw her daughter's face.

“Huh???”

Touching her face, Cerri became aware that she had indeed been crying, and pretty hard if her swollen eyelids were anything to go by.

“ Love did something happened, are you pain? Is your chest bothering you again?”Aminata asked tenderly, seating herself on the bed next to Cerri and slowly wiping away her tears.

“No, I'm fine mom I just had a weird dream.”

“What did you dream about?"  


Thinking for a moment, her expression went from blank to utter confusion. Looking at her mom's concerned face, Cerridwen opened her mouth as if to say something, to only then close it and turn towards the window. Watching the first few drops of rain hit the glass.

“That's just it mom…”

 

_I don't remember..._


	2. Raindrops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother's love is unconditional and eternal. When we say that nature is wise, one of the things that we refer to is the bond between mothers and their children  
> Its the morning of the first day of uni. and what better way for Cerri to spend it than having a good breakfast and quick spat with mom!!
> 
> Also happy mother's day to all the moms out there! I totally meant to post this chapter on mothers day ;)

“ Love did something happened, are you pain? Is your chest bothering you again?”Aminata asked tenderly, seating herself on the bed next to Cerri and slowly wiping away her tears.

“No, I'm fine mom I just had a weird dream.”

“What did you dream about?

Thinking for a moment, her expression went from blank to utter confusion. Looking at her mom's concerned face, Cerridwen opened her mouth as if to say something, to only then close it and turn towards the window. Watching the first few drops of rain hit the glass.

“That's just it mom…”

 

I don't remember...  
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

After a pregnant pause Aminata knew that Cerridwen was in her own little world. Clearing her throat, she began to rise from the bed and head towards the door. She had only taken a few steps before her motherly instincts kicked in and made her return to her daughter's side. Wrapping her arms around her and bring her into a comforting embrace. She pressed a kiss to her Cerri's forehead before tucking the child's head under her chin.They stayed like this, quietly listening to the rain hitting the window pane. After a few minutes Aminata pulled back just enough to clearly look her daughter in the face. Studying her features for a few seconds, she then proceeded to bring Cerri into what seem to be another innocent kiss on her head, only for it to be a very loud and wet raspberry.

"Ugh oh my god mom!! Why'd you do that to me!" Cerri cried trying to hold back on the laughter that wanted to creep into her voice.

"I had to, you looked like some kid who lost their puppy. Now come on, today's your first day, I'll make some grits and eggs for us."Aminata finally released her daughter from the embrace, allowing Cerri the chance to wipe the slobber from her forehead.

"You know there's other ways of comforting someone besides blowing raspberries on their head. And as hard as it is to believe, I'm actually an adult not a baby; MOM!! While also trying her best to look irritated.

“But you'll always be my baby little moon.” teased Aminata as she made her way through the bedroom door.

  
Rolling her eyes at the childhood nickname, Cerri pulled back her covers and made her way to her bathroom for a quick shower. Once done with her shower she opted to wear a comfy pair of leggings and a white t-shirt. Since it was to supposed to be overcast with rain showers here and there, she also decided to wear her extra large, bright yellow hoodie. Pulling the hoodie over her head Cerri decided it was time to tackle the beast that was her mass of curls. Due to the humidity she’d normally just it up into a bun and call it good; but she wasn't going on a simple errand or a walk through the city. She was going to be stuck on campus all day and the last thing she wanted to do was stick out and garnish unwanted attention. Her time in Chicago taught her that hard lesson already.

  
Settling for a top knot with the majority of her hair left out, Cerri turned her head from left to right making sure the pointed tips of her ears were tucked behind her hair. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her looks, elves along with half elves were pretty common sight in New York. But unlike most elf halflings, she didn't have the fair skin commonly associated with elven culture. In fact if it wasn't for her cousin, Cerri believed that she’d be the only half black, half elf person in New York.  
Glancing at her mirror one last time, Cerri made her way downstairs. Half way through the flight of stairs she could already smell the food. Quickly finishing the stairs, she made a sharp right and practically galloped to the kitchen.

  
From the doorway she could see that the table was set and her mom was still cooking. Stopping at the fridge first, she grabbed a carton of juice before coming to a stop at her mother's side. Taking a swig of juice she noticed that the grits and sausage were done and her mom was now working on the fried eggs. It seemed that all the food was there, though she couldn't help but feel that there was something missing.  
"Hey momma, where's the bacon?"

Sucking her teeth, Aminata sharply swiveled her head to her right; giving Cerri the look she knew all to well as "Oh no you didn't!" look before she turned back to the frying pan.

"What??? What'd I say?? All I asked was where's the bacon?!" Cerri exclaimed.

"You come down here, looking like some over ripe banana. Don't even offer a "Hey mom is there anything I can help with" or "Thanks mom for making breakfast" no the first thing out your mouth is where's the bacon! Last time I checked Cerridwen, you didn't have a brown-skinned servant in this house." Her mother huffed not once taking her eyes off the pan.

Leaning against the counters, Cerri couldn't help but roll her eyes at her mother's antics. She could could tell her mother was only teasing, but it was something she'd have to get used to again.

"Don't roll your eyes at me girl, also the food is ready. And since you so desperately need to know, the bacon is in the microwave."

Giddy with the delight of having a good breakfast, Cerri promptly grabbed the bowls all the while singing a chorus of thanks to her mother. It was mornings like this that made Cerridwen glad she moved back home. Between her mom working as a nurse and her moving to Chicago to go to medical school almost 8 years ago meant they rarely had time to spend as a family, besides the occasional holiday. Being home again, Cerri was really starting to value these small family moments.

Soon after the food was dished out the duo settled down in the breakfast nook, quietly enjoying their meal. Well into their breakfast Aminata instantly recalled the 2nd important event for the day. “Oh! Before I forget…” breaking out of her reverie, Cerri looked up from her meal to give her mom her full attention, “it's your aunties’ anniversary. Since I’m working a twelve, I need you to give that gift to them. Also will you pick up a card for the gift on your way back home.”

Following her mother’s gaze and turning towards her left, Cerri noticed the crystal figure on the island. “Oh wow mom, its beautiful! They'll definitely love it!” she gushed.

“You think so? I hope they like it, I’ve been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what to get them. Its their 25th anniversary so it had to be special.” She exhaled quietly exhaled while gathering her dishes and heading to the sink.

Taking the last few bites of her grits Cerri quickly followed her mom to the sink, handing off her dishes with a sly smile, all while her mom gave her a very pointed look as she started to clean. Working together the pair settled into a comfortable silence as they worked on cleaning.

Handing off the last dish to be dried, Aminata took the opportunity to observe Cerri, as she busied herself with drying the dishes. “So..” she started simply, as she considered her daughter’s peculiar fashion.

 From years of experience, Cerri knew right away that her mom wanted to say what was on her mind, and knowing her mom it was probably something she didn't want to hear. Whatever it was she knew better to brace herself. “What?..”

“First of all don't what me, secondly are you sure you want to wear… that ? she replied animatedly gesturing to Cerri’s clothes.

At first Cerri was at a lost for words and could only return a deadpan stare to her mother’s outburst. But of course! BUT OF FREAKING COURSE!! She should have know right off the bat her mother would finding something disagreeable what she’d wear today. It's not that she minded the disagreement, she just found it rich that a person from the 80s had room to question her taste in fashion. She figured she should be somewhat grateful her mom didnt out right yell “what are those” the moment she walk through the door.

“Today is your first day at the university don't you want to look nice, you could easily meet your future husband today! Don't get wrong dear, you look cute it's just… so much yellow… so much like a ripe banana…” Aminata stated plainly as she continue to contemplate her daughter.

Cerri didn't even bother to hide her annoyance as she grumbled back her retort to her mother. “First of all mom it's not that serious!! Secondly I’m going to school to get a DEGREE, to become a DOCTOR, not to find a husband!!” Letting out an exasperated sigh, she was beginning to think moving back home wasn't the best decision after all. Plus what the hell was wrong with yellow!! “And would you look at that! Time for me to go, I’ll catch you later!!” she added quickly, cutting off any possible debated Aminata had left in her.

Making her way to the front door she paused long enough to pat the family dog and coo it a quick goodbye, before grabbing her umbrella, keys and bag off the end table. Shouting one last goodbye and love you at her mother Cerri made her way through the door, ready to start her day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still pretty new to this fanfic writing, so any constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated!!! Also too many page breaks or not enough?? Let me know in the comments below!!

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Ar lath ma, vhenan: "I love you, heart/my heart"  
> Var lath vir suledin!: Our love will endure  
> Da'len: Little child; little one  
> Ma vhenan: My heart; sometimes shortened simply to vhenan, "heart"; a term of endearment  
> Ar-melana dirthavaren. Revas vir-anaris: Fen'Harel’s secret greeting  
> Ghil-Dirthalen: "One who guides seekers of knowledge true


End file.
